This was deja vu. Not only because the US was once again facing Ghana in a World Cup match (I was there in Nürnberg in 2006), but because I had a similar bad feeling then. In addition we were also going back to Rustenberg.
I had booked a seat on a supporters bus again; I didn’t want to be alone. The meeting point was the same, Nelson Mandela Square. I arrived early. The square was completely empty of American fans. Had everyone gone home despite the fact we made it into the round of 16? I waited. Did I have the right spot? I waited. Maybe they cancelled the bus at the last minute? Finally just before noon a handful of fans arrived. That was it. We were a mere handful. For the England match we hired four buses and numbered more than 300.
You can’t imagine how difficult it was to make ourselves heard in the stadium against the roar of, well…Africa. By some miracle of immigration and naturalization everyone in the stadium was suddenly Ghanaian. We didn’t stand a chance. I thought of the scene in Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. “Oh the noise, oh the noise, noise, noise, noise… They’ll dance with ching-tinglers tied onto their heels, they’ll blow their floo-flubas, they’ll bang their tar-tinkers; they’ll blow their hoohubas, they’ll bang their gardinkers….”
Sam’s Army is the supporters group that usually lead the songs. So feeble was their voice against the din I took it upon myself to lead the singing in my section. The players had to hear our voice, know we were there for them. No way.
The US did not play well, this much is true. Maybe they were spent from the match against Algeria and had nothing left to give. Maybe they were thinking of Nürnberg. Maybe, like me, they are simply tired of being here in South Africa.
So now we build again for another World Cup in four years time. Another World Cup, another World Cup, another World Cup…
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